Fig and Cheese Toasts
Ina Garten says of this recipe, “Jeffrey and I were having some friends for drinks and he couldn’t believe how quickly I put these appetizers together! You put the fig spread on toast, then add some creamy cheese, sprinkle with microgreens, and drizzle it all with syrupy balsamic vinegar. They taste like grown-up cream cheese and jelly sandwiches.”
Ingredients
- 1 loaf country bread (1 lb./500 g), halved and sliced crosswise 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick
- 1 jar (8 1/2 oz./265 g) good fig spread, such as Dalmatia (see note)
- 8 oz. (250 g) plain creamy cheese, such as goat cheese or cream cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 ripe fresh figs, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
- Syrupy balsamic vinegar
- Microgreens
Directions
Toast the bread in a toaster and, while still warm, spread the fig spread on each slice to cover it entirely. Place the cheese in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, until it’s creamy and spreadable. Spread a layer of the cheese on the fig spread, leaving the edges of the fig spread visible. Top with a few slices of fresh fig and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cut each toast crosswise to make appetizers that will be easy to eat. Lightly drizzle each piece with the balsamic vinegar and top with a few microgreens. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.
NOTE: I prefer fig spread, which has less sugar than fig jam or fig preserves, but of course you can use either. Choose a fig spread that is quite thick or it will be hard to spread the cheese on top.
Reprinted from Modern Comfort Food. Copyright © 2020 by Ina Garten. Photographs copyright © 2020 by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.
